Man on trial for St. Louis rapes that put another in prison

ST. LOUIS — Lonnie Erby served 17 years in prison on a rape conviction before he was exonerated and freed. Now, another man is being tried for the crime.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that prosecutors hope physical evidence will overshadow the spotty memories of victims and convince jurors to convict 55-year-old Johnnie Moore. He is accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls in St. Louis in 1985.

Both of the girls identified Erby as the attacker. But DNA testing in 2003 led to Erby's exoneration. Prosecutors say that DNA testing pointed to Moore as the criminal.

Moore's public defender said in opening statements Tuesday that the 16-year-old's clothing showed DNA from a third person. He said the 14-year-old victim's jeans also showed DNA of another person.